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Abstract:

A multi-segment display is disclosed. Specifically, a low height
LED-based display is disclosed that includes a number of segments. The
segment construction may include a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) layer, a
first substrate, and a second substrate that are laminated or otherwise
connected to one another. The first and second substrates may include
windows which allow light generated by a light source mounted on the PCB
to exit the display and one or more of the windows may be filled with an
encapsulant.

Claims:

1. A display assembly, comprising: one or more display segments, the one
or more display segments comprising: a light source mounted on a first
major surface of a third substrate and configured to generate and emit
light away from the third substrate; a second substrate comprising a
first major surface and a second major surface, the second substrate
having an opening window that extends from its first major to its second
major surface, wherein the opening window is configured to surround the
light source, and wherein the second major surface of the second
substrate is positioned proximate to the first major surface of the third
substrate; a first substrate comprising a first major surface and a
second major surface, the first substrate having an opening window that
extends from its first major surface to its second major surface, wherein
the opening window of the first substrate is positioned to coincide with
the opening window of the second substrate such that light emitted by the
light source passes through the opening windows of both the first
substrate and the second substrate, and wherein the second major surface
of the first substrate is positioned proximate to the first major surface
of the second substrate.

2. The display assembly of claim 1, wherein the opening window of the
first substrate is filled with an encapsulant.

3. The display assembly of claim 2, wherein the encapsulant comprises at
least one of epoxy, silicone, a hybrid of silicone and epoxy, phosphor, a
hybrid of phosphor and silicone, an amorphous polyamide resin or
fluorocarbon, glass, and plastic.

4. The display assembly of claim 3, wherein the encapsulant hermetically
seals the light source within a cavity created by the opening window of
the second substrate.

5. The display assembly of claim 4, wherein the light source comprises an
LED and wherein light generated by the light source travels directly from
the LED to the encapsulant without traversing any material.

6. The display assembly of claim 1, wherein the third substrate comprises
a Printed Circuit Board and wherein the first and second substrates are
manufactured according to at least one of the FR-4 and G-10
specification.

7. The display assembly of claim 6, wherein the combined thickness of the
first, second, and third substrates is less than 3 mm.

8. The display assembly of claim 1, wherein a first adhesive layer bonds
the first substrate to the second substrate and wherein a second adhesive
layer bonds the second substrate to the third substrate.

9. The display assembly of claim 8, wherein the first and second adhesive
layers comprise one or more of a bonding film, a UV-curable adhesive, a
pre-preg, and a liquid adhesive.

10. The display assembly of claim 8, wherein the first adhesive layer
extends across and separates the opening windows of the first and second
substrates.

11. The display assembly of claim 8, wherein the first adhesive layer
does not extend across the opening windows of the first and second
substrates.

12. The display assembly of claim 1, further comprising a protective
encapsulant that surrounds and protects the light source and a bonding
wire that electrically connects the light source to the third substrate.

13. A multi-segment display, comprising: a plurality of segments, at
least one of the plurality of segments comprising: a first substrate, a
second substrate, and a third substrate, wherein the first and second
substrates each comprise opening windows, wherein the opening window of
the first substrate is filled with an encapsulant, wherein the opening
window of the second substrate is empty, and wherein the first substrate,
second substrate, and third substrate are bonded to one another such that
a hermetically-sealed cavity is created between the third substrate, the
encapsulant, and walls of the second substrate that surround the opening
window of the second substrate.

14. The display of claim 13, wherein a light source is mounted on the
third substrate within the hermetically-sealed cavity.

15. The display of claim 14, wherein the light source is exposed to gases
contained within the cavity.

16. The display of claim 13, wherein the third substrate comprises a
plurality of electrical bonding pads and traces on a first major surface
and an opposing second major surface.

17. The display of claim 13, wherein the encapsulant is configured to
hermetically seal the cavity as well as condition light generated by a
light source contained within the cavity before the light exits the
display.

18. A panel comprising the display of claim 13.

19. A panel of multi-segment displays, comprising: a first substrate, a
second substrate, and a third substrate, wherein the first and second
substrates each comprise a plurality of opening windows, wherein the
opening windows of the first substrate are filled with an encapsulant,
wherein the opening windows of the second substrate are empty, and
wherein the first substrate, second substrate, and third substrate are
bonded to one another such that a plurality of hermetically-sealed
cavities are created between the third substrate, the encapsulant, and
walls of the second substrate that surround the opening windows of the
second substrate.

20. The panel of claim 19, wherein each cavity comprises a light source
therein which is mounted to the third substrate.

Description:

[0002] Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) have many advantages over conventional
light sources, such as incandescent, halogen and fluorescent lamps. These
advantages include longer operating life, lower power consumption, and
smaller size. Consequently, conventional light sources are increasingly
being replaced with LEDs in traditional lighting applications. As an
example, LEDs are currently being used in flashlights, camera flashes,
traffic signal lights, automotive taillights and display devices.

[0003] One area of application for LEDs is in seven segment displays. A
problem with currently available LED-based seven segment displays is
height. Specifically, there are no seven segment displays available in
the market today that have a product height of 3 mm or less. An example
of a traditional LED segment 100 used in a seven segment display is
depicted in FIG. 1. The LED segment 100 of the prior art traditionally
includes a plastic housing 104 fastened to a Printed Circuit Board (PCB)
substrate 108 via one or more housing seats.

[0004] The completed segment 100 also typically comprises a light source
120 located in a cavity of the housing 104, one or more bonding wires 124
connecting the light source 120 to an electrical lead on the PCB
substrate 108, a protective encapsulant 128 that protects the light
source 120 and bonding wires 124 from ambient moisture, and a
conditioning encapsulant 132 that is used for conditioning light
generated by the light source 120 before it exits the segment 100.

[0005] In some embodiments, the housing 104 of a segment 100 is fastened
to the PCB substrate 108 via a first housing seat 112a and a second
housing seat 112b. The housing seats 112a, 112b are usually formed by a
process where pegs of the housing 104 are inserted through holes in the
PCB substrate 104 and then the pegs are subjected to a combination of
heat and pressure until the ends of the pegs mushroom outwardly (i.e.,
become larger in area than the holes of the PCB substrate 104) and secure
the housing 104 to the PCB substrate 108.

[0006] This practice of establishing housing seats 112a, 112b to secure
the housing 104 to the PCT substrate 108 is generally acceptable in the
industry today. However, it can have drawbacks. In particular, the
pressure and/or heat applied to the segment 100 to form the housing seats
112a, 112b places a limitation on the thickness of the housing 104 and
PCB substrate 108. If the housing 104 or PCB substrate 108 are too thin
(e.g., less than 3 mm collectively), then the pressure and/or heat may
cause faults in the housing 104 or PCB substrate 108.

[0007] Another drawback to using the segment 100 construction depicted in
FIG. 1 is that an air gap 116 is created between the housing 104 and PCB
substrate 108 when the housing seats 112a, 112b are established. The air
gap 116 is generally not very large, but does necessitate the protective
encapsulant 128 to protect the light source 120. Without the protective
encapsulant 128, ambient moisture would be allowed to reach the light
source 120 via the air gap 116 and could potentially damage the light
source 120.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] The present disclosure is described in conjunction with the
appended figures:

[0009] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an LED segment according to
embodiments of the prior art;

[0010]FIG. 2A is a top view of a display panel in accordance with
embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0011]FIG. 2B is a top view of a seven segment display in accordance with
embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0012]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional exploded view of a display segment in
accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0013]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a first display segment
configuration in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0014]FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a second display segment
configuration in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0015]FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a third display segment
configuration in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0016] FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional view of a first substrate in a first
stage of manufacture in accordance with embodiments of the present
disclosure;

[0017] FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view of a first substrate in a second
stage of manufacture in accordance with embodiments of the present
disclosure;

[0018]FIG. 7c is a cross-sectional view of a first substrate in a third
stage of manufacture in accordance with embodiments of the present
disclosure;

[0019] FIG. 7D is a cross-sectional view of a first substrate in a fourth
stage of manufacture in accordance with embodiments of the present
disclosure; and

[0020] FIG. 8 is a flow chart depicting a display manufacturing method in
accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The ensuing description provides embodiments only, and is not
intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the
claims. Rather, the ensuing description will provide those skilled in the
art with an enabling description for implementing the described
embodiments. It being understood that various changes may be made in the
function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit
and scope of the appended claims.

[0022] Furthermore, although one particular type of display is depicted
and described herein, embodiments of the present disclosure are not so
limited. Specifically, embodiments of the present disclosure can be
utilized in any type of display and are not necessarily limited to seven
segment displays or LED-based displays. Rather, displays having one, two,
three, four, five, six, eight, nine, etc. segments may incorporate
elements of the display discussed herein. Also, any type of display,
whether utilizing an LED light source or not, may utilize elements of the
display discussed herein.

[0023] Referring initially to FIG. 2A, a panel 200 including a plurality
of displays 204 is depicted. The panel 200 is constructed of a plurality
of layers as will be described in further detail herein. The plurality of
displays 204 may be simultaneously manufactured on the panel 200. In some
embodiments, up to 90 units of displays 204 may be manufactured on a
single panel 200. As can be appreciated, a greater or lesser number of
displays 204 may be provided on a single panel 200 without departing from
the scope of the present disclosure. Specifically, more (or less) than 90
units of displays 204 may be manufactured on a single panel 200
simultaneously.

[0024] The multi-layer construction of the displays 204 enables the
plurality of displays to be simultaneously produced on the panel 200
rather than requiring a single display construction as was required under
the prior art manufacturing processes. This greatly increases the
efficiency with which the displays 204 can be manufactured and allows a
higher production throughput.

[0025]FIG. 2B shows a closer view of a single display 204. The display
204 may comprise a plurality of segments 208a-f. Although the display 204
depicted in FIG. 2B is a seven segment display, one of ordinary skill in
the art will appreciate that embodiments of the present disclosure are
not so limited. In a traditional seven segment display, the segments
208a-d have a specific orientation to facilitate the depiction of any
numerical value from 0-9 and certain letters. Of course, other segment
orientations such as starburst, for example, may be utilized to display
all letters in the English language. Of course, a display 204 having
other types of segment orientations may be used to depict characters or
letters of non-English languages.

[0026] FIGS. 3 and 4 depict one possible configuration of a segment 208.
As can be appreciated, although the configuration of a single segment 208
will be described in detail, each of the segments 208a-d may have similar
or identical configurations to the single segment 208 described herein.
More broadly, segments of multiple displays 204 on a panel 200 may also
have similar or identical configurations to the single segment 208
described herein.

[0027] The segment 208 construction may comprise a plurality of layers
including a first substrate 304, a second substrate 316, and a third
substrate 328. Each substrate may be generally planar and may have
opposing first and second major surfaces. More specifically, the first
substrate 304 may comprise a first major surface 308a and a second major
surface 308b. Likewise, the second substrate 316 may comprise a first
major surface 320a and a second major surface 320b. Finally, the third
substrate 328 may comprise a first major surface 332a and a second major
surface 332b.

[0028] The substrates 304, 316, and/or 328 may be constructed of any type
of rigid or semi-rigid material. Suitable materials that may be used for
the first and/or second substrates 304, 316 include, without limitation,
plastic (e.g., PET, PTFE, PVC, etc.), ceramic, glass, metal, alloys, or
combinations thereof. More specifically, the first and/or second
substrates 304, 316 may comprise a thermosetting industrial laminate
including a continuous filament glass cloth material with an epoxy resin
binder. For example, the first and/or second substrates 304, 316 may
comprise composites that are manufactured in accordance with the FR-4
and/or G-10 specification.

[0029] The first and second substrates 304, 316 may each have a cavity or
opening that creates a window for the segment 208. Specifically, the
first substrate may have a window that is filled with an encapsulant 312.
The encapsulant 312 serves the dual purpose of protection and light
conditioning. Specifically, the encapsulant 312 may be configured to
protect electronics (e.g., a light source 348 and bonding wires 352a,
352b) mounted on the third substrate 328 and contained within the cavity
404. The encapsulant 312 may also be configured to condition light (e.g.,
diffuse, direct, and/or disperse) generated by the light source 348 as it
exits the segment 208. The encapsulant 312 may also comprise optical
properties for changing the color of light emitted by the light source
348 before it exits the display 204. Moreover, the encapsulant 312 may
act as a lens for shaping light as it exits the display 204. In some
embodiments, the encapsulant 312 may be formed of an epoxy, silicone, a
hybrid of silicone and epoxy, phosphor, a hybrid of phosphor and
silicone, an amorphous polyamide resin or fluorocarbon, glass, plastic,
or combinations thereof.

[0030] The second substrate 316 may have a window 344 that coincides with
the window of the first substrate 304 (e.g., has the same size as the
window of the first substrate 304 and overlaps the window of the first
substrate 304). The window 344 of the second substrate 316, however, is
not filled with an epoxy, resin, or any other type of encapsulant.
Rather, the window 344 of the second substrate 316 establishes a cavity
404 for housing the electronics of the segment 208.

[0031] The window of the first substrate 304 may be created by
establishing a hole or via that extends from the first major surface 308a
of the first substrate 304 to the second major surface 308b of the first
substrate 304. Similarly, the window 344 of the second substrate 316 may
be created by establishing a hole or via that extends from the first
major surface 320a of the second substrate 316 to the second major
surface 320b of the second substrate 316. The holes or vias may be
established using any known type of manufacturing technique such as
punching, etching, cutting, machining, etc.

[0032] Similar to the first and second substrates 304, 316, the third
substrate 328 may correspond to a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) layer that
is constructed of plastic (e.g., PET, PTFE, PVC, etc.), ceramic, glass,
metal, alloys, or combinations thereof. Any suitable material known for
constructing a PCB may be used for the third substrate 328. In some
embodiments, the third substrate 328 may also be primarily manufactured
of a composite that conforms with the FR-4 and/or G-10 manufacturing
specifications.

[0033] The third substrate 328 may be configured to have electronics
mounted thereto. Specifically, the third substrate 328 may comprise a
plurality of electronic traces and/or bonding pads 336 on its first major
surface 332a and its second major surface 332b. In some embodiments, the
electronic traces and/or bonding pads 336 on the first major surface 332a
are connected to the electronic traces and/or bonding pads 336 on the
second major surface 332b. Specifically, vias may be established through
the third substrate 328 and those vias may be filled (partially or
completely) with a conductive material. These conductive vias may enable
the traces and/or bonding pads 336 on opposite sides of the third
substrate 328 to connect with one another.

[0034] The electronics mounted on the first major surface 323a of the
third substrate 328 may include the light source 348 and one or more
bonding wires 352a, 352b that connect the light source 348 to the traces
and/or bonding pads 336. In some embodiments, the light source 348
comprises an LED that has an anode and cathode. The anode may be
connected to the traces and/or bonding pads 336 via the first bonding
wire 352a and the cathode may be connected to the traces and/or bonding
pads 336 via the second bonding wire 352b. As can be appreciated,
however, if the anode and cathode are on opposite sides of the light
source 348, then one of the anode and cathode may be directly bonded to a
bonding pad and the other of the anode and cathode may be connected to a
different bonding pad with a bonding wire.

[0035] The light source 348, in some embodiments, comprises a single LED,
a plurality of LEDs, or a specifically-configured array of LEDs. By
connecting the light source 348 to two different leads, an electrical
potential can be applied to the anode and cathode of the light source 348
thereby energizing the light source 348 and causing it to emit light. In
some embodiments, the light source 348 is configured to emit light from
its top surface (e.g., away from the third substrate 328). However, it
should be appreciated that the light source 348 may be configured to emit
light from its side surfaces or it may be configured to emit light toward
the third substrate 328.

[0036] In some embodiments, the bonding wires 352a, 352b are made of an
electrically conductive material such as Au, Ag, Cu, and the like.

[0037] Construction of the segment 208 may involve laminating or otherwise
physically connecting the plurality of layers (e.g., first substrate 304,
second substrate 316, and third substrate 328) to one another via known
techniques. In some embodiments, adhesive layers 324, 340 may be provided
between the plurality of layers to establish a semi-permanent or
permanent bond between the layers.

[0038] In some embodiments, the adhesive layers 324, 340 may comprise
thermosetting adhesives (e.g., a bonding film), UV-curable adhesives, or
the like. In some embodiments, rather than using a thermosetting adhesive
or similar type of adhesive, a pre-preg or similar type of solid adhesive
layer may be utilized. Pre-preg is a term for "pre-impregnated" composite
fibres. These usually take the form of a weave or are uni-directional.
They already contain an amount of the matrix material used to bond them
together and to other components during manufacture. Pre-pregs are
commonly stored in cooled areas since activation of the pre-preg is most
commonly done by heat and pressure (e.g., under lamination conditions).
Accordingly, where a pre-preg is used for one or both of the adhesive
layers 324, 340, a lamination and/or baking manufacturing step may be
required after the requisite layers are positioned relative to one
another. On the other hand, where liquid-based adhesives are used for one
or both adhesive layers 324, 340, the adhesive layers may be cured
without requiring a separate lamination step.

[0039] The segment 208 configuration depicted in FIGS. 3 and 4 employs an
adhesive layer 324 that extends across the window 344 of the second
substrate 328 and separates the encapsulant 312 in the window of the
first substrate 304 from the electronics mounted to the third substrate
328. The second adhesive layer 340 is shown as having a discontinuous
portion; this means that the second adhesive layer 340 may comprise
either a pre-preg, bonding film, or liquid-based adhesive.

[0040] In some embodiments, the first major surface 308a of the first
substrate 304 corresponds to the "top surface" of the display
204--meaning that it corresponds to the display surface of the display
204. The second major surface 308b of the first substrate 304 may be
positioned proximate to the first major surface 320a of the second
substrate 316 and may be bonded thereto by the first adhesive layer 324.

[0041] The second major surface 320b of the second substrate 316 may be
positioned proximate to the first major surface 332a of the third
substrate 328 and may be bonded thereto by the second adhesive layer 340.

[0042] The second major surface 332b of the third substrate 328 may be
mounted to a larger circuit board, positioned in the housing of an
electronic device incorporating the display 204. Any number of possible
electronic devices (e.g., communication devices, computing devices,
network devices, signage, billboards, access control devices, etc.) may
incorporate the display 204 or a plurality of displays 204.

[0043] In some embodiments, the completed segment 208 commonly has a
thickness of less than 3 mm. More specifically, certain embodiments may
utilize a first substrate 304 having a thickness (i.e., linear distance
from first major surface 308a to second major surface 308b) of less than
about 1 mm and possibly as thin as about 0.6 mm. Similarly, the second
substrate 316 may have a thickness (i.e., linear distance from first
major surface 320a to second major surface 320b) of less than about 1 mm
and possibly as thin as about 0.5 mm. The third substrate 328 may have a
thickness (i.e., linear distance from first major surface 332a to second
major surface 332b) of less than about 1 mm and possibly as thin as about
0.1 mm. The thickness of the adhesive layers 324, 340 is generally
negligible (e.g., on the order of microns or less) in relation to the
thickness of the substrate layers.

[0044]FIG. 5 depicts an alternative configuration of a segment 208. The
segment 208 depicted in FIG. 5 is similar to the segment 208 of FIGS. 3
and 4. The difference between the segment configuration of FIG. 5 and
that of FIGS. 3 and 4 is that the first adhesive layer 324 has a gap 504
across the cavity 404. Here, the first adhesive layer 324 may comprise a
dry type of adhesive that is drilled or punched with an opening window
for the segment 208. Alternatively, the first adhesive layer 324 may
comprise a layer of a screen-printed wet adhesive. The adhesive gap 504
may span the entirety of the cavity 404. More specifically, the
dimensions of the adhesive gap 504 may coincide with the dimensions of
the window in the first substrate 304 and the dimensions of the window
344 in the second substrate 316. The adhesive gap 504 enables light
emitted by the light source 348 to travel directly to the encapsulant 312
without traversing any material or medium other than air or a gas that is
trapped within the cavity 404.

[0045]FIG. 6 depicts yet another alternative configuration of segment
208. The segment depicted in FIG. 6 is similar to the segment 208 of FIG.
5. The segment 208 of FIG. 6, however, includes a protective encapsulant
604 that surrounds and protects the light source 348 and bonding wires
352a, 352b. In some embodiments, the protective encapsulant 604 may
comprise epoxy, silicone, a hybrid of silicone and epoxy, phosphor, a
hybrid of phosphor and silicone, an amorphous polyamide resin or
fluorocarbon, glass, plastic, or combinations thereof. The protective
encapsulant 604 is primarily responsible for providing structural
protection to the bonding wire(s) 352a, 352b. As can be appreciated,
however, the protective encapsulant 604 is not generally necessary as a
protective measure against ambient moisture because the cavity 404 is
hermetically sealed by the encapsulant 312, the third substrate 328, and
the walls of the second substrate 316 that define the cavity 404.
Accordingly, the addition of the protective encapsulant 604 may be
considered an optional addition.

[0046] It should be appreciated that while the protective encapsulant 604
is only depicted in the segment 208 configuration having an adhesive gap
504, the protective encapsulant 604 may also be employed in the segment
208 configuration depicted in FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0047] With reference now to FIGS. 7A-D a process of preparing the first
substrate 304 will be described in accordance with embodiments of the
present disclosure. In a first processing stage, the first substrate 304
comprises an encapsulant window 704. Each segment 208 for a display 204
may have similar or identical encapsulant windows 704. As can be
appreciated, if a panel 200 is being manufactured with a plurality of
displays 204, then a plurality of windows 704 for all segments 208 may be
established in the material of the first substrate 304.

[0048] In a second processing stage depicted in FIG. 7B, a temporary layer
708 is placed adjacent to the first substrate 304. More specifically, a
second major surface 712b of the temporary layer 708 is abutted to the
first major surface 308a of the first substrate 304. The opposing first
major surface 712a of the temporary layer 708 may then be laid on a
processing or work surface to support the first substrate 304. In other
words, after the temporary layer 708 has been placed next to the first
substrate 304, the two layers may be flipped over and laid on the work
surface for the next processing stage. However, this flipped orientation
is not depicted in FIGS. 7C-D for ease of understanding.

[0049] As can be seen in FIG. 7c, the encapsulant window 704 may be filled
with the encapsulant 312. In some embodiments, all encapsulant windows
704 on the first substrate 304 corresponding to all segments 208 of the
panel 200 may be filled substantially simultaneously (e.g.,
simultaneously within a machine and processing delay tolerance). In the
prior art it was required that the encapsulant be provided by an
injection filling process. In accordance with embodiments of the present
disclosure, however, the encapsulant material may be deposited via a
screen printing process. This particular process may be a quicker and
more efficient manner of filling the encapsulant windows 704 with the
encapsulant 312. In this processing stage, any excess encapsulant
material that is outside the encapsulant window 704 or on the second
major surface 308b of the first substrate 304 may be removed by a
scraping process. It should also be noted that the encapsulant 312
develops a convex feature on the side of the second major surface 308b.
This convex feature may be inherently created during the application of
the encapsulant 312 or during the step where excess material is removed
from the first substrate 304. In any event, the convex feature may help
to direct light as it exits the segment 208.

[0050] Following the application of encapsulant 312 and the removal of any
excess encapsulant material, the temporary layer 708 may be removed from
the first substrate 304 and the first substrate 304 may be considered
ready for combining with the other substrates 316, 328.

[0051] With reference now to FIG. 8, a method of manufacturing a display
204 or a plurality of displays 204 on a single panel 200 will be
described in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The
method begins with the preparation of the third substrate 328 (step 804).
The third substrate 328 may be a pre-manufactured PCB, a
custom-manufactured PCB, or a semi-customer PCB. The third substrate 328
may be manufactured according to any known techniques. The electronics
(e.g., light source 348 and bonding wires 352a, 352b may also be attached
to the third substrate 328 in this step. Any other necessary electronics
may also be attached (e.g., soldered) to either surface of the third
substrate 328.

[0052] Following preparation of the third substrate 328 (or in parallel
with the preparation of the third substrate 328), the second substrate
316 is also prepared (step 808). Preparing the third substrate 316 may
involve obtaining the necessary material for the second substrate 316 and
establishing the opening windows 344 for each segment 208. If a plurality
of segments 308 and/or display 304 are being prepared simultaneously,
then a plurality of opening windows 344 may be established at
predetermined points along the second substrate 316. It should be
appreciated that the entity which prepares the third substrate 328 does
not necessarily have to prepare the second substrate 316. Rather,
different entities may prepare the respective substrates and provide the
pre-manufactured substrates to a different entity that is responsible for
manufacturing the displays 204.

[0053] After the third 328 and second 316 substrates have been prepared,
the two substrates may be placed proximate to one another (stpe 812).
More specifically, the second major surface 320b of the second substrate
316 may be placed proximate to the first major surface 332a of the third
substrate 328 and the opening windows 344 may be positioned to surround
the electronics mounted on the first major surface 332a of the third
substrate 328. A second adhesive layer 340 may also be placed between the
two substrates. Following step 812, an optional first lamination step may
be performed to attach the second substrate 316 to the third substrate
328.

[0054] Thereafter, the first substrate 304 is prepared (step 816). Details
of the process used to prepare the first substrate 304 were described in
relation to FIGS. 7A-D. Once prepared, the first substrate 304 is placed
proximate to the second substrate 316 (step 820). More specifically, the
second major surface 308b of the first substrate 304 is placed proximate
to the first major surface 320a of the second substrate 316 and a first
adhesive layer 324 may be provided therebetween. Furthermore, the
encapsulants 312 in the windows of the first substrate 304 may be aligned
with the opening windows 344 of the second substrate 316.

[0055] It should also be appreciated that the entity which prepares the
first substrate 304 does not necessarily have to be the same entity which
prepared the second substrate 316 or third substrate 328.

[0056] After the first substrate 304 is positioned accurately relative to
the second substrate 316, the substrates may be subjected to pressure
and/or heat to activate the adhesive layers 324, 340 and laminate the
substrates together (step 824). In some embodiments, the lamination step
824 may be the only lamination step performed. In some embodiments, the
lamination step 824 may be the second lamination step performed as the
second and third substrates may already have been laminated together.

[0057] Following the lamination step, the displays 204 may be individually
cut from the panel 200 for distribution or they may be sold in panel
form. Alternatively, groups of displays 204 may be cut from the panel and
sold as groups.

[0058] Specific details were given in the description to provide a
thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be understood
by one of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practiced
without these specific details. For example, circuits may be shown in
block diagrams in order not to obscure the embodiments in unnecessary
detail. In other instances, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms,
structures, and techniques may be shown without unnecessary detail in
order to avoid obscuring the embodiments.

[0059] While illustrative embodiments of the disclosure have been
described in detail herein, it is to be understood that the inventive
concepts may be otherwise variously embodied and employed, and that the
appended claims are intended to be construed to include such variations,
except as limited by the prior art.